Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

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elioelio
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Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by elioelio »

Hi there,
I'm off on a 6 month cycle tour to NZ and USA soon. All my gear is black, including most of my clothing. I'm not up for wearing high vis but am thinking of ways to make my gear more colourful so I can be seen better. I thought about getting a couple of those high vis sashes and draping over my panniers when they might be needed.
My gear, by the way is 2 back ortleib panniers and a big laundry bag (this is actually fairly colourful...) - all on the back pannier rack. Also a handlebar bag.
I don't want to wear high vis as I don't want to be wearing more layers than necessary and I also don't want to look like a cyclist when I'm off the bike.
Anyone got any tips on cheaply making my bike more visable? Without stuff getting in the way of opening the panniers? (And not painting the bike either - I want to wild camp sometimes!)

I'm also not planning to ride in the dark but may have to ride in fog/rain through tunnels. Any recommendations on bright bike lights? I thought I could wear my head torch as a front light and might get a back bike light for my helmet (as panniers are in the way to put a light on the bike).

Just wondering what other tourers do? Any tips?
Thanks!
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by Vorpal »

In the USA, if lighting is required, many states require that the bicycle is equipped. A head torch does not meet legal requirements. Furthermore, many states require the use of lights in reduced visibility, as well as at night. Some states in Australia also require lighting in poor visibility, though some only require that lighting be used, if the bicycle is equipped.

I suggest that you at least get a reasonable set of battery lights, like Cateye, or something to carry with you and use when needed, even if you don't plan to ride at night. They might be cheaper to get in your starting country.

Unless you want to familiarise yourself with the requirement for every state you visit, use lights anytime visibility is poor (you can't distinguish a person 400 feet away), regardless of night or day.
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Psamathe
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by Psamathe »

Having recently (mostly) given up wearing a helmet, I've taken to wearing a Hi-Vis Buff on my head http://www.buffwear.co.uk/new-aw-14-15-adult-headwear/aw-14-15-reflective-buff/r-yellow-fluor-reflective-buff.

I suppose I think it might help, keeps insects from getting tangled ...

I find it takes a few seconds to put on and less to take off when getting off the bike (but not much use if you are wearing a helmet as relatively little will not be obscured ...)

Ian
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by beardy »

I can not imagine going on a tour without lights, things dont always go to plan and you could end up needing to ride after dark. If the panniers stopped the existing mounts being of any use then I would fit or make another.

Not quite what you were asking about but reflective tape can be applied to the mudguards and reflective material can be taped onto forks, tyres can be bought with reflective bands on them.

When it comes to trying to look bright in daytime, it has to be big. Small bits of different colour will break up your shape and camouflage you. All black may be more easily visible than you think. A single different colour could be better but lots of different bright colours breaking up your shape could be worse.

It may be worth considering a flag on a pole but I have never gone that far on an upright solo bike.
simonhill
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by simonhill »

In NZ (and Oz) it is common for all people doing outside work to wear hi-viz shirts. They are made of synthetic airtec type material. They are fairly cool to wear and sun proof, polo style with long sleeves so good for keeping sun off neck and arms. I wear one most of the time for cycling in the UK and often abroad (wearing now in Japan). Much cheaper than cycling shirts.

As they are so common you won't look like a cyclist in NZ. Personally I would want something to make me stand out in NZ, the traffic is not the best.

Don't know about US?

For the tunnels in Taiwan I bought a very lightweight reflective waistcoat. Hi viz mesh with lots of reflective strips. Light and easy to carry.
RonK
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Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by RonK »

On tour in NZ I used a bright Cateye flasher on the rear at all times. Even on a bright day cyclists can be difficult to see in time when travelling at 100kph, particularly in wooded areas where you may be moving in and out of dappled light.

Cateye has a rack mount that fits Tubus racks and probably other brands as well, allowing Cateye lights to be mounted on the rack. My rack pack is a brightly coloured Alpkit Gourdon which aids visibility too

I also don't plan to ride at night carry a Cateye front light in case I caught out, and after a truck started crossing when I was halfway across this long one-lane pick-a-plank girder bridge where a cyclist is easily lost from view amongst the girders on a bright sunny day (yep, one lane for everybody, cars, trucks, trains...and bikes).

Image

Otherwise I do wear bright cycling clothing but not hi-viz. The NZ company Ground Effect makes an excellent range of plain cycling clothing so you don't look like a billboard. Once off the bike I change into street clothing. Look at MacPac and Icebreaker, all very suitable for NZ conditions. Most other tourists I met wore also cycling clothing.
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by Spinners »

I find the use of all black cycle clothing baffling and see so many cyclists dressed like this nowadays.
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RonK
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by RonK »

Spinners wrote:I find the use of all black cycle clothing baffling and see so many cyclists dressed like this nowadays.

Perhaps he wants cosy up to the Kiwis by dressing as an All Black. Totally unnecessary though - Kiwis are for the most part very nice people - friendly, approachable, welcoming. :lol:
The theory is simple: a) cycling is inherently fun, and b) the less weight you carry, the more fun it is.

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mjr
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by mjr »

Spinners wrote:I find the use of all black cycle clothing baffling and see so many cyclists dressed like this nowadays.

If you see them, it can't be so bad for visibility :lol: Do you find the continuing use of black cars baffling, too?

Back to the original question: I didn't have a problem in NZ (except the blasted helmets) but there wasn't much traffic where I was riding. In the US, there was so much traffic that most of it didn't move very fast - I did avoid big roads because I wasn't going anywhere in particular.

I think I'd be inclined to use a dynamo if I wanted lights most of the time, or a good "be seen" set of lights if it was just for occasional use in areas of poor visibility and few cycles - many Cateye or Smart ones seem OK for that.
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by pjclinch »

mjr wrote:I think I'd be inclined to use a dynamo if I wanted lights most of the time


More than an inclination for me. Put a decent hub dynamo on and connect it to modern LED lamps and that's your lighting problems sorted for the whole way. Use automatic lights like BuM's "Senso" models and you don't even have to worry about deciding when to turn them on... You can override the sensors and just use them as daytime running lights (bulbs blowing very much less of an issue with LED tecnology, it's not only brighter but a lot more reliable), and that takes a way a lot of your hi-viz-without-the-hi-viz issues.

I'm not a big fan of hi-viz, but there is a big difference between "colourful" and hi-viz. While you might like all-over black there are practical reasons of overheating in the sun why you might be better off with some alternatives, at least some of the time.

Be aware that in training these days position is emphasised as probably the most important part of being seen. If there is a small pothole in your track you generally see it despite it being small and nothingness because it's where you're looking for things. It's not required that it be surrounded in dayglo paint. But if you're not looking it doesn't matter if it is surrounded in dayglo paint, because you're not looking. Same goes for drivers and cyclists: if they don't look they won't see you, if they do look you'll be seen. Once seen research has now suggested there's no difference in e.g. care in overtaking of riders in loud clothes.

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Last edited by pjclinch on 17 Oct 2014, 9:48am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by pjclinch »

Spinners wrote:I find the use of all black cycle clothing baffling and see so many cyclists dressed like this nowadays.


You see lots of people dressed in black. So why should that change if they want to ride a bike somewhere?

I avoid black and grey for cycling jackets but only because I don't really like them as colours for any jackets, and being a stocky slaphead I tend to look like a bouncer when in black. But it's really just a personal colour choice, a bit like having a black car.

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jamesgilbert
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by jamesgilbert »

I think all Ortlieb panniers have bits of reflective material on them in strategic places, mine show up extremely well in headlights. I also have a big reflector on the back, with just a basic LED rear light that clips on the back of a dry bag.

I don't take a front light - my headtorch is quite powerful and can easily be slipped on to the handlebar bag, so it even looks like a proper bike light in countries where that sort of thing is required. When touring I cycle so little in low light conditions that I really don't want to take any more than the strict minimum.
irc
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by irc »

Unless you plan to ride much at night a battery rear light on the rack and a decent head torch should suffice. That's what I've used on about 10k miles of touring in the USA.

Other advice - use a mirror. Most drivers are OK but you will get a few close passes and they are less frightening when you see them coming. I twice had to ride off the road on to gravel to avoid being hit when drivers refused to slow down when oncoming traffic prevented an overtake. Both times in full daylight and straight roads.
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Spinners
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by Spinners »

mjr wrote:
Spinners wrote:I find the use of all black cycle clothing baffling and see so many cyclists dressed like this nowadays.

If you see them, it can't be so bad for visibility :lol: Do you find the continuing use of black cars baffling, too?



Newsflash: We're a more vulnerable road user.

In my opinion, there's more chance of being noticed by wearing lighter, brighter colours but each to their own.
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by Bicycler »

I'd take a cheap pair of battery lights. Head torches are unlikely to be illegal and can annoy others, it wouldn't help anybody approaching you from the rear either. Lights on the handlebars or fork crown will normally clear front panniers. As for the rear, quite a few are made which fit onto your pannier carrier or mudguards. Many of these have a reflector included with the light. Pedal reflectors or reflective ankle bands (if you ride clipless pedals) may also provide a worthwhile increase in conspicuity in vehicle headlights.
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